What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Jumping down my throat? Lol. I don't give a fuck what others think. Haters can hate all they want because they are incapable or whatever jealousy they face. If I want to do something, some guy on the internet isn't going to stop me. I happen to want a diesel Tacoma. So guess what. I'm going to make a diesel Tacoma.

 

Questioning your decision isn't only rooted in envy or incompetence. Some have expressed safety concerns. But it's obvious you don't care if someone is concerned for your safety.

Even if they're an automotive structural engineer and point out that your design/execution is extremely hazardous?

And that sounds awesome. But why not just put a diesel motor and appropriate transmission in your Tacoma then?

 

May I ask why you dont put engine and trany in the taco? (sorry if already said) Beef up the frame if you want? I would think it would turn out to be a much better trail rig and look a whole lot cleaner.

 

I'd love a diesel Tacoma too. Your taking a very different path than I would go but it is your truck (or trucks in this case). I'd want a Toyota motor from a Hilux. I looked into just getting a Hilux imported but getting a motor imported would be easier. It will be interesting to see how you go about your swap. Keep us posted!

 

Not really, I kinda just don't get it. Most people love the Tacoma's because of it's reliable drivetrain and not very wide body, especially the first gens. Not to mention built ones can become some awesome long travel trucks, or solid axle trucks, or just an expo rig. Seems like the whole taco dodge thing kinda get's rid of what makes the Tacoma so great. I mean if you want a high torque diesel for rock crawling then just build a truggy from the dodge.

No jealousy here and no hate, just confusion. Now if you had a long travel supercharged 3.4 then yeah I'd be mad jelly, but still wouldn't be hating.

 

Has no one ever built their own buggy? Has no one ever built a custom front or rear frame section on a crawler? Has no one ever welded new suspension components to a truck frame? Actually people have. And they didn't die. I have the luxury of beefing up the stock frame when I chop it. Obviously I'm not going to hack it together with zip ties and duct tape. I have been trusted (and certified) to weld structural members that fly 100' in the air. I think I'm good to weld on a truck frame. Someone else already welded it together once. It wasn't just magically popped out of a steel factory.

 

Some duct tape and zip ties might improve my frame. jusss sayin...lol

 

They wont rust at least

 

You nailed the points I have for doing the swap. The Tacoma is small. Around here the trails are tight. The Tacoma is about as big as you can go. The cummins engine would put Toyota reliability to shame. 400k miles on these is no sweat. The transmission is not dodge, the transfer case is not dodge, and the axles are not dodge. So the dodge crap is gone. And the engine has gobs of torque.

I had a supercharger. Not impressive. Especially after daily driving my Denali. It would smoke my taco. And the reliability after boosting is shit. Look at all the people that have the inevitable knock sensor CEL with superchargers. I did and threw $1000 at it to no avail.

Anyways, peace out. My truck will be one of a kind and that's cool as hell.

 

Thanks @Speedytech7
I will start there.

 

You're.

 

Just like so many other people. Like I said, once you supercharge the reliability is shit. A cummins is factory turbocharged and designed to go 400k. The 5vzfe is not. It's designed for the grocery store.

 

*you're

 

My 3.4 has been on some of the toughest trails in CO and these motors are known to last, so long as they are properly taken care of.

 

Wow good one. Did you think of that all by yourself? My skids hold up just as good as any other ones I've seen out there. I beat the piss out of mine to the point where the transmission one is curved. Still functions fine and my transmission doesn't have any damage to it. If you think a bud built will hold up any better you're wrong. 3/16" is 3/16". Might as well buy the cheapest one because they will be scrap at some point anyway, unless reinforced.

 

anybody want some??

 

Oh me!


I sense two years from now his pile o' bolts still isn't fully built or running properly and will still get overly defensive when someone laughs at him

 

Just because YOU couldn't figure out how to properly tune your shit doesn't mean every supercharged 3.4 is unreliable

 

On another note, Tammy Tacoma is getting some love this weekend. Woot.

Oh and the Big Green Egg is getting a decent little workout as well.